Sri Lanka fears distastrous oil spill from Indian Oil Corp crude tanker on fire

Ships, boats and aircraft from Sri Lanka and India were escalating efforts to douse an oil tanker fire burning for a second day Friday as officials warned of potentially huge environment damage on Sri Lanka’s coast if the ship leaked or exploded.

The tanker was drifting and could reach the coast of the Indian Ocean island nation within 38 hours, Terney Pradeep, general manager of the Sri Lanka Marine Environment Protection Authority, said on state television. That would be about late Saturday local time.

The fire has not spread into the tanker’s oil storage area and no leak was reported, according to Sri Lanka’s navy, but the environmental official warned of the potential damage if a leak or explosion occurred.

Ships, boats and aircraft from Sri Lanka and India were escalating efforts to douse an oil tanker fire burning for a second day Friday as officials warned of potentially huge environment damage on Sri Lanka’s coast if the ship leaked or exploded.

The tanker was drifting and could reach the coast of the Indian Ocean island nation within 38 hours, Terney Pradeep, general manager of the Sri Lanka Marine Environment Protection Authority, said on state television. That would be about late Saturday local time.

The fire has not spread into the tanker’s oil storage area and no leak was reported, according to Sri Lanka’s navy, but the environmental official warned of the potential damage if a leak or explosion occurred.-AP